A/N: HI! Yah, I know. I have A LOT to apologize for.
1) I haven't been updating.
2) I haven't been updating.
3) I HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATING!

I apologize with the entirety of my guilty soul. Uni life has been CRAZY. I'm busy applying for my dream organization (PLEASE PRAY THAT I GET IN!) and although my professors are all blessings from heaven (oh wow, I never expected my profs to be so nice!), I'm still struggling to keep up with my academics. Uni life is VERY different from high school, as I have learned in the past month that I have been a college gal. Oh well, I take everything as a challenge, and above all, I view everything as a learning experience!

I'd like to thank the anonymous guest, Raquel, for providing the prompt "Enemy", and Airsay, for providing the prompt "Evil." Though I decided to call this one-shot "Evil", both prompts have helped shape my ideas for this chapter. Thank you to everyone else who suggested titles too! I appreciate each and every single one of you who review/favorite/follow/or even tweet about my story! I LOVE YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY SNOW(barry)-filled heart HAHAHA

My version of Killer Frost up ahead. Hope you guys don't flame me for some inaccuracies; I really tried my best HAHA Constructive criticism is GREATLY appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash. Sad face

EVIL

"Barry, do you think I'm…evil?"

S.T.A.R. Labs

Saturday 10:57pm

Barry shivered and pulled his jacket on tighter around his body, curling the cuffs of his sleeves up and over his balled fists. She'll be okay, she'll be okay, he desperately tried to repeat to himself. But was Caitlin really going to be okay? He sighed and buried his head in his hands, drawing his knees up to his chest as he curled into a ball. He just couldn't shake the image from his mind. The scene still burned brightly behind his closed eyelids; the main room of S.T.A.R. Labs in total disarray, fluorescent lamps hanging haphazardly from the ceiling, test tubes and beakers lying broken on the floor, glass shards peppering the cracked tile flooring of the room, and Caitlin…oh God, Caitlin. She was lying on the floor in a helpless, motionless heap when Cisco and Barry had found her. There was blood trickling down from her lips and a bruise seemed to be forming on her cheeks. But those weren't the worst parts. When Barry had reached her, he had thought that she was dead. Her skin was cold. Too cold.

"We need to bring her to the testing room!" Barry remembered Cisco shouting then. He vaguely recalled picking up Caitlin's limp form and rushing her over to the testing table, where for majority of his time at S.T.A.R. Labs, it had been him on the metal surface and not the other way around.

Barry remembered how clammy her skin was against his', how blue her lips looked under the harsh lighting of the lab; how her pulse was so weak, Barry couldn't even find it at first. Her body was light in his arms, and her skin felt cold like porcelain; she seemed as fragile as glass.

She'll be okay, he tried to tell himself then as he squeezed Caitlin's limp hand, her fingers like icicles against his'. She was alive, if only, barely.

Cisco had been running around the lab at that time, and Barry vaguely remembered people rushing in and out of the testing room, their faces all but a blur to the anxious boy. He could recall Joe pulling Barry into a hug and whispering into his ear, "Wait outside, son. They've got this."

But Barry wanted to help. Caitlin had always helped him, had always been there for him. It was just right that he did the same for her.

"No, she needs me!" he had protested, slamming at Joe's chest as the fear kicked in and took over his senses. Barry had lost his mother, his father, he couldn't afford to lose Caitlin either. "I need to get back in there!"

But Joe gripped Barry's wrists tight, restraining the boy. "They've got this. All you need to do is wait, Barry."

They? Who were they? Barry tried to open his mouth to ask Joe but Joe had already let go of him, and the older man was already walking down the hallway.

"Caitlin."

It was freezing. Caitlin could feel the sting of coldness like a splash of ice-water on her cheeks. Every breath she took made her feel like she was inhaling icicles up her nostrils. Her eyes burned and her ears felt like they were going to fall off.

"Cait, hey, can you hear me?"

Caitlin desperately tried to wiggle her fingers, but the action proved to be a challenge. Her fingers felt frozen stiff. She forced her eyes open slowly, squinting as bright lights greeted her pupils.

"Cait, oh my God, you're okay. You're gonna be okay, okay?"

A groan escaped Caitlin's mouth as she struggled to sit up, her muscles screaming in protest. She tried to make out the blurry silhouette of a boy standing over her, long dark hair nearly brushing his shoulders. Was it… "Cis-co," her tongue managed to form. Her throat was dry and her lips were chapped. It hurt to talk.

Cisco smiled reassuringly, though it looked like he was on the verge of tears. Caitlin couldn't blame him. The poor boy was probably scared out of his wits. Caitlin was hurt and ambushed by stupid H.I.V.E., however, none of her friends knew about this yet.

"What happened? Can you talk?" Cisco asked. There was the sound of a door slamming somewhere off to her side, and suddenly, Barry arrived looking flustered, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

"H.I.V.E.," Caitlin coughed out. Barry seemed to get this signal, as he sped out with his super speed and returned two seconds later with a glass of water. Joe raised an eyebrow up at his adopted son, probably wondering how Barry had managed to bring the water over without spilling a drop. He walked over to Caitlin and handed over the glass, their pinkies brushing in the process. Almost instantly, a wave of warmth swept over Caitlin; but it passed just as quickly.

"H.I.V.E.?" Cisco muttered, leaning in closer. "H.I.V.E. Agents were here?"

Caitlin's stomach curdled. "Y-yeah," she stammered. She hated how weak she felt, how utterly helpless she was now, barely able to sit up in her bed. When the Agents had arrived, Caitlin had been busy conducting a research. She had been too preoccupied on the test tube she was holding up to notice that two men had already been creeping up behind her. It was already too late when she dared try to scream. They had thrown their arms over her too quickly, and she remembered being suddenly pinned down to the floor. "Th-they tried to hurt me. But I didn't allow them to."

Fragments of her memories came flooding back to her; a dark cloth being tied around her head, over her eyes; the feel of the tile floors against her bare arms and legs as she was shoved to the ground; the way she had struggled with the strangers, screaming over and over again until her throat was raw. She remembered the lab suddenly becoming quiet. By then, she had managed to slip one hand out of her bonds. She untied her blindfold, and was about to stand up when the door to the lab suddenly flung open, and the two men were back. She remembered staggering backwards and bumping into a metal frame; the lab's coolant system. Desperation eating her alive, she had kicked a metal pipe attached to the coolant system, and the entire room was suddenly filled with a thick spray of icy mist.

"Cait, hey, don't lose us," Cisco's voice jarred her back to reality. Caitlin suddenly realized that she had balled her blanket around her fist so tightly, her knuckles had turned white. She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Caitlin, what did they do to you?" Barry asked gently, kneeling down beside her so that his eyes levelled up to hers. He had such unnerving brown eyes. They seemed to warm her up from the inside…

"I'm cold," Caitlin said all of a sudden. Her teeth chattered as if to prove the point. "I c-can't seem to g-get w-warm."

Cisco reached out to her, and as soon as his fingers touched hers, warmth seemed to travel from his body to hers. Her extremities warmed up, waking up her senses and making her feel…alive.

Cisco faltered and winced. It was only then that Caitlin realized that something was wrong. Cisco collapsed to the ground, twitching and convulsing, his eyes rolled up in his head. Meanwhile, the warm feeling seemed to have ceased as soon as Cisco lost physical contact with her.

"What happened to him?" Joe exclaimed. He muttered a curse under his breath when he pushed back a strand of hair from Cisco's forehead. "He's ice-cold!"

Barry's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced from Cisco's convulsing body to Caitlin.

"His pulse is weak," Joe murmured. "What happened!"

Caitlin wanted to cry; what had she done? Had their physical contact done something to Cisco?

"You absorbed his heat," Barry stated. He frowned and reached for Caitlin's hand before she could stop him. Instantly, heat radiated into Caitlin's body. She felt her limbs and her core and her fingers and toes thaw. Her eyes stung and her cheeks burned.

"Ah!" Barry winced, pulling back. As soon as he let go of her, the sensation left Caitlin's body. She was ice-cold again. Barry had gone pale and he was breathing hard, his cheeks tinted a harsh shade of red. He stared at her and she stared back, neither one of them able to speak a word.

"Barry, we need to bring Cisco to the hospital. He's going to go into shock if his body temperature drops any further," Joe said.

Barry swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing in his throat. He staggered to his feet and carried Cisco's limp body before speeding out the door.

What have I done? Caitlin thought. She tried to cry, but her tears were too icy to fall from her eyes. What have I done? What have I done?

"Maybe I shouldn't have left her in that state," Barry murmured. He and Joe were standing outside the glass doors of the laboratory, just within eyeshot of Caitlin in case she needed anything. Barry had just returned from (literally) rushing Cisco to the nearest hospital. His lips were turning blue by the time they had arrived, and his pulse was dying. The doctors, however, assured Barry that his friend would be alright. It was a good thing that Barry was able to bring Cisco as soon as he exhibited signs of hypothermia. If brought much later, the doctors admitted that they wouldn't be able to help.

Hypothermia. Had Caitlin really caused it?

The poor girl was lying on her side, facing away from the doors. Barry's heart clenched as he looked on at her serene figure. He still couldn't wrap his mind around what had transpired a few minutes back, when he had held her hand and suddenly, it was like the life was being sucked out of him. He hated to admit it, but it was almost as if Caitlin was draining the life out of him. It was a crazy idea, he knew, but it seemed to be the only logical explanation behind what he had felt, and what had happened to Cisco.

"I don't know what to do," Barry admitted. "If Dr. Wells were here…I mean, the real Dr. Wells…actually…" Barry's words caught up in his throat. He didn't even know what he was trying to say.

"I don't know what to do now either, kiddo," Joe replied with a sigh, stuffing his hands inside the pockets of his coat. "Cisco was able to contact Oliver Queen earlier, but I doubt his team would make it by tonight."

A wave of fatigue washed over Barry as he glanced at the digital clock sitting on Cisco's desk. It read 2:05 am.

"I'll just head into her room and talk to her," Barry thought out loud. "She'll need the company."

Joe looked dubious. "Be careful, Bar. You saw what happened with Cisco."

"She won't hurt me," Barry replied, offering a smile to calm his step-father. And with that, he stepped forward and allowed the glass doors to slide out and let him in.

Caitlin was curled up around her sheets. As Barry walked towards her, he noticed how much paler her skin had become. Her lips were turning blue. She scrambled to sit up as soon as Barry's footsteps became more prominent, her auburn curls falling in a tangled mess around her face.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice hoarse. She avoided his eyes, almost as if she felt guilty.

"Hey, what happened to Cisco a while ago wasn't your fault," Barry reassured her. He pulled a seat next to her bed and sat down.

"How do you know it isn't?" Caitlin exclaimed. Her eyes were glassy beads. "He was lying, shaking on the floors. And I was the last person he touched. I-it's got to do something with me."

There was so much hurt in her voice, Barry wanted to pull her into a comforting hug. "Caitlin, you were attacked by H.I.V.E." he told her softly. "Whatever they did to alter your body wasn't your fault."

Caitlin bit her lip, her face contorting. "But they didn't do anything to me besides tie me up and push me to the floor."

"What?"

"I ripped a pipe off from the coolant system."

Barry swallowed. "What happened after that?"

Caitlin glanced down at her hands. "I c-can't remember. The next thing I'm aware of is lying on this bed and reaching for Cisco." She gasped. "And he was so warm. I was so cold, but he warmed me up. Barry….I didn't mean to hurt him. I didn't. I'd never hurt my best friends!"

She started sobbing and Barry swore the temperature around her seemed to drop. The glass of water by her bed stand started to fog up…and crystalize into ice.

"Caitlin, look," Barry breathed. Caitlin stopped for a moment and glanced at the glass. Indeed, the water had hardened into ice, but was already starting to melt the moment Caitlin stopped crying.

"Something happened the moment you ripped the pipe from the coolant system," Barry mused, trying to piece the events together. "Caitlin…I don't think I was the only one affected by the Lightning."

Caitlin's face went even paler, if that were possible. "You mean, it wasn't only you, or Cisco, or a ton of the other metahumans running around Central City."

A few months ago, Cisco had also started experiencing effects from the Lightning blast. He could suddenly see between dimensions, explaining that he got a certain "vibe".

Barry shook his head. "Caitlin, you have ice powers or something."

Caitlin looked like she was going to be sick. "But I hurt Cisco. I hurt," she paused and took a breath. "I hurt you."

"Cisco's going to be fine," Barry told her. "And hey, I look pretty fine myself, don't I?"

This elicited a smile from the young scientist, but it quickly faded. "I'll never get to hug any of you ever again. It drains you guys of heat. But I know I can't stay cold forever." She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it, shaking her head. "Barry…I'm almost as bad as the villains we catch. My powers will never bring any good."

"Don't say that."

"Barry…do you think I'm evil?"

In that moment, in the pale lighting of the lab and the quiet eeriness of it at two in the morning, Caitlin Snow looked as fragile as glass. In that moment, Barry reached out to her and clasped her hands in his', trying to fight the sting of cold that ran up his arms like he had just hit his elbow hard. He saw how Caitlin's cheeks began to burn with slight color, and how her lips curled up around the edges. "No, Caitlin Snow. You aren't evil. Your heart is pure, and no amount of ice around it will ever change that."

He squeezed her hands and Caitlin gasped.

"Barry..." she murmured. "Don't do this. You'll get hurt."

"I w-won't," Barry managed to gritted teeth. But he was hurting. His muscles stung, his fingers felt frozen solid, and his insides churned like an icy hurricane was sweeping through him.

Then suddenly, Caitlin pulled away. The pain washed away from Barry's system quicker than he expected it to go; he probably had his metahuman abilities to thank for that.

"You actually believe in me," Caitlin murmured. She smiled, and it was her turn to warm Barry's heart.

"I do. And I'll find a cure. I swear, I won't rest until I find one, Caitlin," Barry said.

A/N: Okay, idk, that was really angst-filled. I hope you guys enjoyed it tho! It's the Flash premiere in a few days, are you guys as excited as I am? I AM DYING OF EXCITEMENT SOMEONE HOLD ME!

Anyway, what do you guys want to see in the succeeding chapters? I'd love to hear from you guys, so please do leave me a review! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! I also love receiving prompts from you guys, so keep em coming! I never forget to write prompts because I have a notebook filled up with JUST prompts haha so yeah, you guys are assured that I'd never forget to write your prompt!